peared. I went back down the track and found
the General and his staff, fuming, half-way up the hill. The German guns
could not be found, and the German guns were holding up the whole
Division.

I slept by the roadside for an hour. I was woken up to take a message to
2nd Corps at Saacy. On my return I was lucky enough to see a very
spectacular performance.

From the point which I call A to the point B is, or ought to be, 5000
yards. At A there is a gap in the wood, and you get a gorgeous view over
the valley. The road from La Ferte to the point B runs on high ground,
and at B there is a corresponding gap, the road being open completely
for roughly 200 yards. A convoy of German lorries was passing with an
escort of infantry, and the General thought we might as well have a shot
at them. Two 18-pdrs. were man-handled to the side of the hill and
opened fire, while six of us with glasses and our lunch sat behind and
watched.

It was a dainty sight--the lorries scooting across, while the escort
took cover. The guns picked off a few, completely demolishing two
lorries, then with a few shells into some cavalry that appeared on the
horizon, they ceased fire.

The affair seemed dangerous to the uninitiated despatch rider. Behind
the two guns was a brigade of artillery in column of route on an
exceedingly steep and narrow road. Guns firing in the open can be seen.
If the Germans were to spot us, we shuddered to think what would become
of the column behind us on the road.

That afternoon I had nothing more to do, so, returning to the common, I
dozed there for a couple of hours, knowing that I should have little
sleep that night. At dusk we bivouacked in the garden of the chateau at
Mery. We arrived at the chateau before the Staff and picked up some
wine.

In the evening I heard that a certain captain in the gunners went
reconnoitring and found the battery--it was only one--that had held up
our advance. He returned to the General, put up his eyeglass and
drawled, "I say, General, I've found that battery. I shall now deal with
it." He did. In five minutes it was silenced, and the 14th attacked up
the Valley of Death, as the men called it. They were repulsed with very
heavy losses; their reinforcements, which had arrived the day before,
were practically annihilated.

It was a bad day.

That night it was showery, and I combined vain attempts to get to sleep
between the showers with a despatch to 2nd Corps at Saacy and anothe